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Babinda Creek Action Plan – Final Draft

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Babinda Creek Action Plan – Final Draft 1: ) BABINDA CREEK ACTION PLAN – FINAL DRAFT For the Period 2011 - 2015 “Restoring the Flow, Restoring the Bank, Restoring the Life”. 2: A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE RUSSELL LANDCARE AND CATCHMENT GROUP Welcome to YOUR Babinda Creek Action Plan, and welcome to the world of our activity – the Russell Landcare & Catchment Group (RLGG). Restoration of Babinda Creek was the highest priority expressed by the community. In view that Babinda Creek contributes to around 1/3 of sediment flowing out of the Russell River at Mutchero Inlet. Our aims are a direct result of community priorities in environmental issues. Our aims have been justified by successful field truthing at both minor tributaries and Babinda Creek itself. This is a project of major proportions, and we expect problems to arise in each phase during the five year period 2011 - 2015. However we are confident of managing a highly successful outcome for restoration of this river. We urge and welcome any form of input from the community and any other source, regardless of your level of interest or involvement. We also recognise and acknowledge the previous Executive and members of RLCG and their efforts. Enjoy reading, from the current RLCG Team: Ray Jones Garry Davison Sam Parisi RLCG Members & Volunteers President Treasurer Technical Support Leo Bonso Selena Nelson Jason Birch Daryl Killin Vice President Secretary RLCG Coordinator Terrain Coordinator 3: RUSSELL LANDCARE & CATCHMENT GROUP ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT POLICY OVERVIEW This section provides an overview of our management policy, both to the community and participating professionals alike. It also encompasses frequently asked questions. When a study is conducted into the behaviour of a river system, an initial focus is placed on damage caused under high flow conditions. This normal thought reacts to the easily visible quantity of debris and erosion in a relatively short period of time, often during the monsoon season. Yet under medium and lower flow conditions, usually unnoticed, a river in poor condition is quietly maintaining saturation of high erosion areas, and depositing coarse material in undesirable places at a more rapid rate than it would naturally, due to the presence of invasive exotic weeds. Rock battering of problem outside bends is the major successful initiative in the source removal of detrimental nutrients and sediment in solution, which now reach the Great Barrier Reef. Brute force is required to control the equally brute force of water impact. This procedure is expensive, yet a permanent solution. Any concerns that we intend to straighten and shorten rivers and convert them into 'canals', creating back-stepping river bed erosion, are totally the reciprocal of our aims. The result of our actions will increase water volume capacity, and reduce average water speed accordingly during medium and higher flow events. It is at the opposite end of the scale to back-step hydrology. Also the river's middle and lower sections flow over a floodplain travelling relatively slowly. This currently is the cause of the major defects in river health. Naturally weathered rock from the mountains, in a highly modified river system such as Babinda Creek, produces large sand deposits in the river basin, causing river movement. This is the only extraction target of our activities. This coarse sand is often confused as a Reef contaminant. A healthy river flushes the sand to sea. The tidal current in tropical Queensland runs north/south inside the Reef. Inshore water motion, with onshore wind, naturally maintains our beaches with that sand. Beaches are often found on the north side of river mouths in north Queensland. 4: The ability of the rivers to self-maintain has been removed in this catchment by the removal of riparian vegetation caused by deforestation of river banks, by our ancestors, for agriculture. Every day since then, the rivers have been increasing in average length to no natural advantage. Landholders are also concerned with the alarming loss of subsoil due to rapid erosion on the outside bends. Water flowing to the Reef is contaminated by nutrients and sediment in solution. To quote a major report (FNQ 2010 Regional Environmental Strategy - Key Waterways Report, Burrows 1998): “Excessive sediment deposition in the Russell and Mulgrave rivers resulting from bank erosion and land degradation, particularly downstream of the Bruce Highway, is forming large sand bars. This has changed the waterways from a series of deep pools separated by gravel bars to a shallow sandy environment, and may be worsening overbank flooding in some locations due to the in-stream islands becoming vegetated. These in-stream islands may also redirect water flows and cause erosion.” We have recognised the need to return a river to its natural functioning state. If you return the ability of the river to flow naturally, then everything else will fall into place. Increase of volume capacity minimises transport of detrimental nutrients and sediment sourced from eroded soil, and decaying plant matter on the land surface. Revegetation of river basin margins then restores control of negative river function and restores wildlife habitat. The popular Cassowary especially needs this restoration in order to survive. Hence the Vision of this Plan is “Babinda Creek – Restoring the Flow, Restoring the Bank, Restoring the Life”. The RLCG Executive Team – August 2011. 5: DRAFT Report Date: 20 April 2011 This DRAFT report was made possible by the funding support of Terrain NRM, a non-profit company supporting catchment groups in the Wet Tropics. The primary author of this DRAFT Babinda Creek Action Plan is Daryl Killin. Daryl is the local Russell River Catchment Coordinator engaged by Terrain NRM in Babinda. Whilst all due diligence has been applied in the development of this report, it may contain errors or omissions. All maps, data and information presented is for general discussion only, and should not be interpreted as relating specifically to any one person, property or project. Special thanks go to all those who have been or are members of the Russell Landcare & Catchment Group, especially those who have held Executive positions. The hard work done by the local Cairns Regional Council Operations Team in partnership with Terrain is also acknowledged. Please feel free to provide comments on this DRAFT Babinda Creek Action Plan to: ATTN: Daryl Killin Terrain NRM PO Box 425 Babinda QLD 4861 [email protected] 6: Table of Contents IDINJI WELCOME .................................................................................................................. 10 PREFACE ............................................................................................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 12 MANAGEMENT VISION ........................................................................................................ 13 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................ 13 IDINJI – THE LOCAL TRADITIONAL PEOPLE .......................................................................... 14 BABINDA CREEK SUB-CATCHMENT DESCRIPTION ............................................................... 16 Babinda Creek Study Area .................................................................................... 16 Topography .......................................................................................................... 17 Climate ................................................................................................................. 19 Geology ................................................................................................................ 20 Soils ...................................................................................................................... 21 Acid Sulphate Soils (ASS) ....................................................................... 22 Regional Ecosystems ............................................................................................ 24 Average Sediment Load........................................................................................ 25 Landuse ................................................................................................................ 26 Water & Wetlands ................................................................................................ 27 PLANNING METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 28 Strategic Catchment Planning - A Practical Approach ......................................... 28 Learning from Past Lessons .................................................................................. 30 How to Fix Slumping & Erosion Hot Spots ........................................................... 32 BABINDA CREEK REACHES ................................................................................................... 33 7: Babinda Creek Reach I – Boulders to Double Barrel Creek .................................. 33 Babinda Creek Reach II – Double Barrel Creek to Bruce Highway ....................... 34 Babinda Creek Reach III – Bruce Highway to High Voltage Line .......................... 35 Babinda Creek Reach IV – High Voltage Line to Russell River .............................. 36 LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ..........................................................................................................
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